Kitchener-Waterloo

Public meeting tonight to improve West Montrose flood response

The Grand River Conservation Authority and the Township of Woolwich are holding a public meeting tonight to review the flooding response to record rainfall that fell June 23, and look at ways it could be better handled in the future.
A garbage can and a wagon float down the Grand River under the West Montrose covered bridge in late June. (Dee Gow)

The Grand River Conservation Authority and the Township of Woolwich are holding a public meeting tonight to review their response to record rainfall and subsequent flooding in June. 

More than 100 millimetres of rain fell in the northern part of the Grand River watershed in the early morning of June 23 but some residents have told CBC News they weren't warned of flooding until that afternoon.
Rain caused water levels in the Grand River to rise quickly. Olde Bridge Place, a bed and breakfast in West Montrose near the covered bridge, was affected by flooding on the weekend. (Dee Gow)

According to the event notice the meeting will start with a presentation from the GRCA's director of engineering Dwight Boyd and chaired by Woolwich Township mayor Sandy Shantz. 

In June, Boyd said the area saw "a month and a half of rainfall in four hours." 

Residents have told CBC News the meeting will also be a review of how the GRCA and the township's performance before, during and after the flood.